Shoe tree having expansible side pieces

ABSTRACT

A shoe tree includes a front piece, a heel piece, a coupling device adjustably coupled between the front piece and the heel piece, and two side pieces coupled to the front piece, and movable and expansible and adjustable relative to the front piece, for suitably forming various curvatures or contours or shapes for the shoes. The side pieces are pivotally coupled to the front piece with a pivot axle. The side pieces each includes a spring member engaged with the front piece, to bias the side pieces away from the front piece. The side pieces may be guided to move relative to the front piece. The coupling device includes a link having a latch adjustably coupled to the front piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shoe tree, and more particularly to a shoe tree having a front piece for positioning and centering the shoe tree, and having two laterally pivotal or expansible side pieces.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various kinds of typical shoe trees have been developed and comprise a front piece or front portion, and a heel piece or heel portion slidably and/or resiliently and adjustably coupled together, to allow the shoe trees to be suitably fitted and braced within the shoes.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,778,594 to Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,255,471 to Mutch, U.S. Pat. No. 2,340,404 to Mutch, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,473,176 to Schoshusen disclose four of the typical shoe trees each also comprise a front portion and a heel portion resiliently and adjustably coupled together, to allow the shoe trees to be suitably fitted and braced within the shoes.

In addition, the front portions of the shoe trees each includes two separated sections movable or adjustable relative to each other. However, the two separated sections of the front portions of the shoe trees will be directly engaged with the inner portions of the shoes to be formed or to be manufactured, and may not be suitably positioned or centered relative to the shoes.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,199 to Messinger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,252 to Johnson, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,088 to Chang disclose three further typical shoe trees each also comprise a front portion and a heel portion resiliently and adjustably coupled together, to allow the shoe trees to be suitably fitted and braced within the shoes. The front portions of the shoe trees each includes an integral or solid one-piece structure, and thus may not be fitted or provided to form various curvatures or contours or shapes for the shoes.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional shoe trees.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree including a front piece and a heel piece adjustably coupled together, to allow the shoe tree to be suitably positioned and centered with shoes, and further including two laterally pivotal or expansible side pieces for suitably forming various curvatures or contours or shapes for the shoes.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a shoe tree comprising a front piece, a heel piece, a coupling device adjustably coupled between the front piece and the heel piece, and two side pieces coupled to the front piece, and movable and expansible and adjustable relative to the front piece, for suitably forming various curvatures or contours or shapes for the shoes.

The front piece includes a pivot axle extended therefrom, and the side pieces are pivotally coupled to the pivot axle of the front piece respectively. The side pieces each includes an arm extended laterally therefrom and pivotally coupled to the pivot axle of the front piece respectively.

The side pieces each includes a spring member engaged with the front piece, to bias the side pieces away from the front piece. The side pieces each includes a barrel extended therefrom, to receive the spring member therein.

The front piece includes two studs laterally extended therefrom, and the side pieces each includes a tube extended therefrom and slidably engaged onto the studs of the front piece, to guide the side pieces to move relative to the front piece. The front piece includes an open top formed therein, and a cap enclosing the open top of the front piece.

The front piece includes a channel formed therein and defined between two flanges, each flange includes a plurality of teeth formed thereon, for adjustably coupling to the coupling device. The coupling device includes a link, and a latch attached to the link, for adjustably coupling to the front piece.

The latch includes a pair of levers extended therefrom and each having a tongue extended therefrom, for engaging with selective teeth of the flanges of the front piece, and for adjustably securing the latch and thus the link to the front piece. The latch includes a base having at least one aperture formed therein, the link includes a shaft extended therefrom and pivotally received in the aperture of the base, to pivotally couple the latch to the link, and to allow the latch the link to be moved in concert with each other.

A pawl is further provided and includes a protrusion extended therefrom and slidably engaged between the levers, for selectively forcing the tongues of the levers to engage with the teeth of the flanges of the front piece.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe tree in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the shoe tree;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the shoe tree, taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the shoe tree;

FIG. 4 is a top plan schematic view of the shoe tree;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 are top plan schematic views similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the operation of the shoe tree;

FIG. 8 is another partial exploded view of the shoe tree; and

FIGS. 9, 10 are partial plan schematic views illustrating the operation of the shoe tree.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a shoe tree 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a front piece 20, a rear or heel piece 40 slidably and/or resiliently and adjustably secured or coupled to the front piece 20 with a coupling device 60, to allow the heel piece 40 to be adjusted relative to the front piece 20, and two side pieces 80 pivotally or adjustably secured or coupled to the front piece 20, to allow the side pieces 80 to be pivoted or rotated or expanded laterally relative to the front piece 20.

For example, the front piece 20 includes a nose segment 21, and two cut off side portions 22, and includes a channel 23 formed in the middle portion thereof and facing or opening rearwardly, and defined between two flanges 24 each having a number of teeth 25 formed thereon. The front piece 20 further includes two studs 26 laterally extended into the two cut off side portions 22 thereof, and includes an open top 27 enclosable with a cap 28 which may enclose the open top 27 of the front piece 20 and which may shield the teeth 25 of the flanges 24 and the coupling device 60.

The front piece 20 includes a pivot axle 29 extended therefrom (FIG. 5), such as extended downwardly from a middle or front portion thereof, and the side pieces 80 each includes an arm 81 extended laterally from a front portion 82 thereof, and rotatably or pivotally coupled to the pivot axle 21 of the front piece 20, to allow the side pieces 80 to be pivotally coupled to the front piece 20, and thus to allow the side pieces 80 to be pivoted or expanded laterally relative to the front piece 20.

The side pieces 80 each includes a tube 83 laterally extended from a middle or rear portion 84 thereof, and slidably engaged onto the studs 26, to guide the side pieces 80 to rotate or to move relative to the front piece 20. It is preferable that the studs 26 and the tubes of the side pieces 80 include anchoring projections (not shown) extended therefrom, to engage with each other, and to limit the rotational movement of the side pieces 80 relative to the front piece 20.

The side pieces 80 each further includes a barrel 85 laterally extended from the middle or rear portion 84 thereof, to receive a spring member 86 therein, in which the spring members 86 are engaged or biased between the side pieces 80 and the front piece 20, to bias the side pieces 80 away from the front piece 20 (FIG. 5), and thus to allow the side pieces 80 to be snugly fitted within the front portions of the shoes 90 (FIGS. 3 and 6-7), or to form various shapes or curvatures or contours in the front portions of the shoes 90.

The coupling device 60 includes a link 61 having a rear portion 62 solidly secured to or adjustably attached to the heel piece 40. An adjusting device for adjusting the heel piece 40 relative to the link 61 of the coupling device 60 has been disclosed in the applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,088 to Chang, which may thus be taken as a reference for the present invention. The link 61 of the coupling device 60 includes a front portion 63 which may be solidly secured to or adjustably attached to the front piece 20.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8-10, the front portion 63 of the link 61 of the coupling device 60 includes a shaft 64 laterally extended therefrom, and preferably laterally extended outwardly from both sides thereof, best shown in FIG. 2. A latch 65 includes a base 66 having one or more apertures 67 formed therein, for pivotally receiving the shaft 64 of the link 61, and for pivotally coupling or securing the latch 65 to the link 61. The latch 65 includes a block 68 formed or provided above the base 66, and spaced away from the base 66, to form a pair of passageways 69 between the block 68 and the base 66.

The latch 65 further includes a pair of opposite cavities 70 and a pair of inclined surfaces 71 formed therein and communicating with the passageways 69 thereof that is formed between the block 68 and the base 66. The latch 65 further includes a pair of levers 72 extended therefrom and each having a tongue 73 extended therefrom, for engaging with the teeth 25 of the flanges 24 of the front piece 20 (FIGS. 9, 10), and thus for adjustably securing or locking the latch 65 and the link 61 to the front piece 20.

A pawl 75 includes a protrusion 76 extended upwardly therefrom for slidably engaging between the levers 72, and for forcing the tongues 73 of the levers 72 away from each other to engage with either of the teeth 25 of the flanges 24 of the front piece 20, and thus for adjustably and solidly locking the latch 65 and thus the link 61 to the front piece 20. It is preferable that the pawl 75 includes a pair of legs 77 each having a projection 78 extended therefrom, for engaging with either the cavities 70 or the inclined surfaces 71 of the latch 65.

For example, after the tongues 73 of the levers 72 of the latch 65 have been adjusted and engaged with the selected teeth 25 of the flanges 24 of the front piece 20, as shown in FIG. 10, the pawl 75 may be moved relative to the latch 65, to engage the projections 78 of the legs 77 of the pawl 75 into the cavities 70 of the latch 65, and to engage the protrusion 76 of the pawl 75 between the tongues 73 or the levers 72 of the latch 65, in order to maintain the engagement of the tongues 73 of the levers 72 of the latch 65 with the teeth 25 of the flanges 24 of the front piece 20, and to lock the latch 65 and thus the link 61 to the front piece 20.

When it is required to adjust the latch 65 and the link 61 relative to the front piece 20, as shown in FIG. 9, the pawl 75 may be moved relative to the latch 65, to disengage the protrusion 76 of the pawl 75 from the tongues 73 or the levers 72 of the latch 65, and thus to allow the tongues 73 of the levers 72 of the latch 65 to be moved to engage with the other teeth 25 of the flanges 24 of the front piece 20, and thus to allow the latch 65 to be moved and adjusted relative to the front piece 20 to the required or selected position.

At this moment, the projections 78 of the legs 77 of the pawl 75 may be engaged with the inclined surfaces 71 of the latch 65, to maintain the disengagement of the protrusion 76 of the pawl 75 from the tongues 73 of the levers 72 of the latch 65, and to prevent the protrusion 76 of the pawl 75 from being moved and engaged between the tongues 73 of the levers 72 of the latch 65. It is preferable that the pawl 75 includes a serrated surface or a number of protrusions 79 formed in bottom thereof (FIGS. 3, 8), for allowing the pawl 75 to be easily moved relative to the latch 65 and the front piece 20.

One example of the adjustment and the securing of the link 61 of the coupling device 60 to the front piece 20 has also been disclosed in the applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,088 to Chang, which may also be taken as a reference for the present invention. The present invention is to provide two side pieces 80 slidably or adjustably or movably or pivotally coupled to the front piece 20, and movable away from each other, or expansible relative to the front piece 20.

As also shown in FIG. 2, the formation or the provision of the two cut off side portions 22 in the front piece 20 may form one or more, such as two side shoulders 210 between the nose segment 21 and the other portion of the front piece 20, to receive and to shield the front portions 82 of the side pieces 80, best shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 4-7, to allow the nose segment 21 of the front piece 20 and the side pieces 80 to easily engage into the shoes 90, and to allow the nose segment 21 of the front piece 20 and the heel piece 40 to be solidly engaged into and positioned and centered within the shoes 90.

The prior shoe trees fail to provide a front piece 20 slidably and/or resiliently and adjustably secured or coupled to a heel piece 40 with a coupling device 60, and simultaneously, two side pieces 80 pivotally or adjustably secured or coupled to the front piece 20, to allow the side pieces 80 to be pivoted or rotated or expanded laterally relative to the front piece 20.

Accordingly, the shoe tree in accordance with the present invention includes a front piece for positioning and centering the shoe tree, and two laterally pivotal or expansible side pieces for suitably forming various curvatures or contours or shapes for the shoes.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A shoe tree comprising: a front piece, a heel piece, a coupling device adjustably coupled between said front piece and said heel piece, and two side pieces coupled to said front piece, and movable and expansible and adjustable relative to said front piece.
 2. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front piece includes a pivot axle extended therefrom, and said side pieces are pivotally coupled to said pivot axle of said front piece respectively.
 3. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 2, wherein said side pieces each includes an arm extended laterally therefrom and pivotally coupled to said pivot axle of said front piece respectively.
 4. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side pieces each includes a spring member engaged with said front piece, to bias said side pieces away from said front piece.
 5. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 4, wherein said side pieces each includes a barrel extended therefrom, to receive said spring member therein.
 6. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front piece includes two studs laterally extended therefrom, and said side pieces each includes a tube extended therefrom and slidably engaged onto said studs of said front piece, to guide said side pieces to move relative to said front piece.
 7. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front piece includes an open top formed therein, and a cap enclosing said open top of said front piece.
 8. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front piece includes a channel formed therein and defined between two flanges, each flange includes a plurality of teeth formed thereon, for adjustably coupling to said coupling device.
 9. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 8, wherein said coupling device includes a link, and a latch attached to said link, for adjustably coupling to said front piece.
 10. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 9, wherein said latch includes a pair of levers extended therefrom and each having a tongue extended therefrom, for engaging with selective teeth of said flanges of said front piece, and for adjustably securing said latch and thus said link to said front piece.
 11. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a pawl including a protrusion extended therefrom and slidably engaged between said levers, for selectively forcing said tongues of said levers to engage with said teeth of said flanges of said front piece.
 12. The shoe tree as claimed in claim 9, wherein said latch includes a base having at least one aperture formed therein, said link includes a shaft extended therefrom and pivotally received in said at least one aperture of said base, to pivotally couple said latch to said link. 